I LOVE salsa! Yep, I do. A good, tasty salsa can help with meal prep if you’re not too sure what to make or you’re pressed for time. Some steamed veggies, a cup of beans and a spoon or two of salsa and lunch or dinner is done…it’s really that easy. A bit of salsa mixed with guacamole or avocado and you’ve got a tasty, creamy salad dressing that is bursting with flavour. You can even jazz up plain hummus with a few spoons of tasty salsa.

Now…let me explain…I love a certain salsa that I pick up from a little shop that is two hours away from my house and costs $10 a jar. It’s worth it but I don’t typically drive out that far to get it. I enjoy it when I have it then I go without for a long time or I’ll make do with a quick and easy salsa that I can make myself.

This past weekend I decided to try to make something similar to the one I mention above so I could enjoy salsa more often.

I’ll keep trying to refine it but the first attempt came out very tasty and much cheaper. I’ve included what I did on my first attempt and the biggest difference is in a richness to the sauce. Maybe next time I’ll add a bit of tomato paste to the mix to help thicken it up.

Chipotle Salsa

1 onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

1 small red pepper, chopped

1 large can of diced tomatoes

1/4 tsp allspice

1 chipotle in adobo

4 medjdool dates

2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar

Sautée the onion until it is soft and caramelized. Add the peppers and cook them down until they are tender. I water sautée in a non-stick pan and whenever things get dry and start to stick I add some water and stir it around.

Add the diced tomatoes and allspice and let it simmer.

In a blender blend the chipotle, dates and apple cider vinegar with a little water to make it a paste. Dump it into the simmering salsa.

Once everything is well combined and the liquid has mostly evaporated stop cooking and let it cool.